Inhabited since prehistoric times and listed in Unesco as a World Heritage Site, ancient Butrint deserves its place at the top of our ‘to visit’ list in Albania .
Declared a National Park, Butrint is probably the most important archaeological site in Albania, that’s why it is also called ‘The Microcosmos of Mediterranean’ , it is of great significance in historical, cultural, and natural value. Ancient Greek and Roman roots are shown and made obvious through findings of objects around the amphitheater like: statues and portraits , the heads of Zeus and Livia enriched by Latin and Greek epigraphs. Some monuments like the theater have been well preserved.
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What To Expect
Archaeological excavations have shown that city walls in the defense positions have been continually used which shows continuation of life in the town. Also the excavation showed the treasure this area has been covering for a long time, most notably: the theater, basilica, a baptistery, castle walls, a temple, public baths, houses, sand statues, and gates designed like those of Troy.
Called Buthrotum in ancient times, it was home to Epirote tribe of the Chaonians being one of the major centers of this tribe, and later has been a battlefield between major forces of the time as it has gone through different periods starting with Ancient Greece and later Ancient Roman periods, continuing with Byzantine period and probably Slavic too.
It was controlled by Angevins, Despotate of Epirus, Republic of Venice and later Ottoman Empire until the creation of the state of Albania.
Being one of the main settlements of Chaonians during antiquity, Butrint was influenced by Greek culture until the arrival of the Romans when it became a Roman colony.
Walls of Butrint have their word too!
It witnessed several attacks by despots of Epirus early and also Ottomans in the later times which can be confirmed by the continuing fortification of city walls and adding of a new fortress to defend Butrint. These fortifications also provide testimony for the different stages Butrint has passed from being home to Greek colonies and tribes until the Middle Ages.
Late Antiquity saw this ancient city decline after it was hit by a major earthquake which caused flooding in most parts of the city.
The city enjoyed some period of prosperity during the Byzantine administration and Butrint has also been an important port throughout time. It was abandoned in the late middle ages because it became inhabitable after marshes.
Butrint offers considerable history for tourists, and we can help you arrange a tour across this ancient city and its nearby surroundings. Very near and part of Butrint National Park is the ‘Ali Pasha Castle’ which is accessible by boat. It was built by the famous Albanian ruler of the same name during the Ottoman times.
There are a lot of reasons to visit Butrint, but also the surrounding area and nearby places are worthy of a visit so don’t hesitate to arrange a trip to these beautiful and eye-catching destinations.
Only 15 minutes of driving will send you to the jewel of Albania coast, Saranda. Even closer is the nearby town of Ksamil which offers plenty of beautiful beaches with crystal clear waters.Another attraction is the ‘Blue Eye’ , located almost 30km from Butrint. Another castle ‘Lekursi’ lies on top of Saranda City, there is a restaurant in the castle which offers some of the best cuisine in the area with a splendid view of the city and also Corfu island in front.
Butrint is accessible in different ways, you can travel by road or also if you are in Corfu you can visit Butrint by ferry and hydrofoils which operate daily and arrive in Saranda for a very short time, usually hydrofoils take only 30 minutes and ferries need a little more than 1 hour to get to Saranda port, from there a regular bus service will get you to Butrint. Also you can arrive from the border of Qafe-Bote entering Albania near Konispol and later cross by the cable ferry that is located in Butrint to pass the Vivari Channel. A lot of tourists visit Butrint from the nearby Corfu, proximity makes it possible to easily arrange a daily trip if you are staying in Corfu for vacations.
In case you are in Albania:
In the case you are traveling across Albania, you can arrive in Butrint from 4 roads. The most beautiful one goes through the Albanian Riviera, it is also the most lengthy one in time and from the capital Tirana it takes almost 6 hours of car ride. There are also optional roads that offer beautiful scenery and old towns and villages and also take less time to get you to Butrint, in 4 hours you can arrive by the shortest path from capital Tirana to Ancient City of Butrint. We also offer client pickup and our tours start from Tirana,Durres, Vlora,Saranda and also don’t hesitate to ask us if we can get to your destination.
Majestic panoramas with a mixture of beautiful nature,beaches, mountains, and castles nearby offer such a combination that is very difficult to resist.
We recommend this area and place it at the very top of destinations to visit in our country. It is worthy as it will satisfy your needs for sure as it is of historical, cultural and natural value without forgetting the traditional mediterranean cuisine and tasty food. The scenery and views around this area is beyond what you can expect. Also the place is a great value for your money.
We make regular tours around Butrint and for sure we know how to!
We as a guided tour agency can help you make the most of your time in our beautiful country, and help you arrange a flexible tour depending on your requests.
In case you are considering a trip to Albania in the near future we can help you visit the best attractions that our beautiful country has to offer. Butrint and the surrounding area is surely on top of the list and very recommended from us. We are continually making daily and multi day tours around Saranda where Butrint is located and its nearby attractions, also offering a complete guided tour with English, Italian,Greek speaking tour Leader.
Transportation is very important for us, we drive comfortable vans or 4×4 Jeeps for an off road experience.
What is special about our tours is that we also do our trips with Jeeps to get the most out of your experience. So your tour around Butrint,Saranda will also feel like an off road tour with our 4×4 Suvs.
We like our clients to get the most of their tour!
Our groups usually do not contain more than 7-8 clients, this means you will have the opportunity to stay in close contact with the tour guide and listen better as you hear about the historically rich Butrint. You can also reserve a private tour around Butrint and its surroundings and you can mention all your requirements so we can make a flexible package optimized for your needs.
For multi day tours we also have the perfect choices of accommodation for you, we have a lot of options for accommodation in Saranda and Ksamil depending on your preference. We also got the best options for your meals and will happily suggest places and get you there too.
What is special about our tours is that we want our clients to remember they’re experience and have a look at it whenever they want, so we record our best moments using Drones or Professional aparats so the photos and videos will be of top quality just like your overall experience in this trip.
Any time is good for a tour around Butrint and the perfect time highly depends on your preferences. Of course summer is very busy in our crystal clear waters of the riviera but Albania is warm and mostly has sunny days even in other seasons. So if you plan to have some holidays at the beach summer might be the best choice for you, but in the other seasons you will also enjoy the trip as much and it will be a lot less croudy which for some people makes it the best option to visit Butrint during Spring, Autumn or even Winter.
We offer client pickup at Hotel, Airport, Port and also you can contact us for your location and we will make the most to guarantee you the proper transportation so you can experience this tour.
